With Blu-ray Disc now the clear
victor in the high-definition format war, those cautious about buying
hardware can spend with ease. Those with home theater PCs or laptops will be
pleased to learn that Philips & Lite-On Digital Solutions (PLDS) will be
soon releasing its first USB external BD-ROM drive in Q2 2008.

“Due to recent market developments we can expect an
increasing volume of movies to be released in high definition on Blu-ray Discs,”
said Jelmer Veldman, European Marketing Manager at PLDS. “The market adoption
of Blu-ray as the optical disc standard for High Definition content results in
a growing demand for Blu-ray playback solutions. The portable external Lite-On
BD-ROM drive allows users to playback their Blu-ray discs on any PC via a USB
2.0 cable.”

Those who prefer internal drives can find the Lite-On Blu-ray
Disc drives for around $150.

Alternatively, HTPC addicts may consider the Xbox 360 HD DVD
drive, now
on clearance for $50. While HD DVD may have limited future potential, the
Xbox 360 add-on, which works with natively with Windows Vista, is an affordable
option to view today’s high-definition content.